Stop Using GenStrip Test Strips, FDA Warns
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned that GenStrip blood glucose test strips, sold by Shasta Technologies, may give incorrect blood glucose readings and should not be used. The FDA issued the statement after an inspection of the company found extensive quality control violations.

The test strips are third-party products, meaning they are not produced by the same company that produces the meter in which they are used. GenStrips are advertised for use with the LifeScan OneTouch family of glucose meters.

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The strips in question have been manufactured and distributed since March 2013 and are available through retail pharmacies and online retailers. They may be packaged in green and white packaging with the GenStrip name on top.

“Without assurance of an adequate quality system, the FDA believes that the strips could report incorrect blood glucose levels. An inaccurate blood glucose reading could lead to inappropriate or delayed treatment that could significantly harm a patient,” the FDA noted.

To date, the manufacturer has been unwilling to voluntarily recall the strips, resulting in their continued availability. The FDA is recommending that people with diabetes discontinue use of the strips and obtain alternative strips that are intended for use with the LifeScan OneTouch family of meters. They are also advising retailers to discontinue sale of the product.

Any adverse reactions or problems relating to the use of this product should be reported to MedWatch, the FDA’s safety and adverse event reporting program, by telephone at (800) FDA-1088 (332-1088), by fax at (800) FDA-1078 (332-1078), on this webpage, with the postage-paid FDA form 3500 (available here), or by mail to MedWatch, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20852-9787.

High-Protein Breakfast Good for Blood Sugar
Research has shown that extreme increases in glucose and insulin can cause poor blood glucose control and increase a person’s risk of developing diabetes. Now, new research from the University of Missouri-Columbia indicates that eating a high-protein breakfast leads to better glucose and insulin control throughout the morning in women without diabetes.

To determine the effects of breakfast composition on blood glucose levels, the researchers looked at women ages 18–55 years old who had either one of three different meals or only water on four consecutive days. The meals all contained less than 300 calories and had similar fat and fiber contents but varied in the amount of protein they contained: 3 grams for a pancake breakfast, 30 grams for one variety of sausage-and-egg breakfast skillet, and 39 grams for another variety of sausage-and-egg breakfast skillet. The women’s glucose and insulin levels were monitored for four hours after they ate breakfast.

The results showed that the consumption of the high-protein breakfasts led to better blood glucose control throughout the morning compared to consumption of the low-protein, high-carbohydrate breakfast: Both high-protein breakfasts caused lower spikes in glucose and insulin. Moreover, the meal containing 39 grams of protein led to lower post-meal spikes than the meal containing 30 grams of protein.

“Since most American women consume only about 10–15 grams of protein during breakfast, the 30–39 grams might seem like a challenging dietary change. However, one potential strategy to assist with this change might include the incorporation of prepared convenience meals, such as those included in this study,” noted study author Heather Leidy, PhD. “If you eat healthy now and consume foods that help you control your glucose levels, you may be protecting yourself from developing diabetes in the future.”

The study will be presented at the 2014 Experimental Biology meeting in San Diego, California. Further research is needed to confirm whether the consumption of high-protein breakfasts can help with morning blood glucose control in women with prediabetes (a condition in which blood glucose levels are elevated, but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes).

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Terri

Ugh!

Terri

That’s obvious though I’d tone down that fatty content…look for some better fat sources to include like avacado on a poached egg on half an english muffin…

Jeff Trant

This is a waste of time and bandwidth. I wonder how much taxpayer money was wasted on this “study” of the obvious. Very few people without diabetes or the risk thereof will read this “news flash”. And, those with diabetes already know this to be fact. I would sarcastically venture a guess that high protein, low carb lunch and dinner would yield similar results. I know that I feel enlightened….thanks for nothing.

pat

that is bad. I do not use these strips but I have in the past. A big part of me is wondering is that a ploy to discount folks who manufacture these strips in order to get us buying the more expensive strips. Lets face it these are some hard times and diabetic care is high.

JohnC

It’s more like the low carbohydrates for breakfast causes lower blood sugar than the high protein.
Anyone with a meter (who uses it) would have discovered this pretty fast.

Of course if you still believe that fat (yes, even saturated) is the enemy you have a problem… a mostly protein breakfast isn’t really any kind of balance. I’ll be glad when they finally put the fat thing to bed. You eat 3 things: protein, fat, and carbohydrates. Guess which one you don’t really need? Hint: it isn’t fat. I’m not saying you shouldn’t eat your veggies.

Me thinks the what to eat question (especially for diabetics) will look a whole lot different in a few years. With a lot of opps, we’re sorry.

Mel

I am having the same issue with the strips and meter I purchased on the cheap from Walmart while I was unemployed and out of insurance. The prime variety of the strips that Walmart sells measures glucose about 50% higher than my Therasense strips(Freestyle lite meter) I had few of the latter left over from my insured period and did few comparative measure ments and saw that when Freestyle was measuring my level as 100, Walmart meter registered about 150. I am not sure if the meter is to blame or strips but I comparison tested 2 different vials of strips and the results were just about the same.

rroycep

newly diagnosed type 2. ot medicated due to other health issues – drug tolerance and health. my question is why should I try to get 180g of Carbs per day into my diet. It seems the carbs raise my BG readings so why be concerned about pushing to eat so many carbs when they seem to be the cause of my high BG readings.
Help

rroycep

Should say not medicated.
I am a 73 yr old and have lost 30 pounds since July 2013. Still want to get some more weight off and losing 1.5 pounds per week since diagnoses in March 2014..

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